As an intellectual, a patriot and revolutionary, Bhagat Singh was one of India'searly Marxist thinkers and ideologues, according to the author of the book under review. He fully understood the role of ideas and ideologies, especially those aimed at changing the society. He made a memorable statement before the High Court when he said, ?The sword of revolution is sharpened at the whetstone of thought.?
It is well known that he was a nationalist to the core and sacrificed his life for independence of the country. But lesser known was the fact that he was developing as a major intellectual and thinker and this comes out clearly on reading the letters reproduced in this book. A number of factors contributed to shaping his socio-political thoughts. First was Mahatma Gandhi'sdecision to suddenly suspend the non-cooperation movement following the violent incidents that took place at Chauri Chaura in 1922, much to the disappointment of many a youth in India. Gandhiji'sslogan ?swaraj in one year? had enthused them with the spirit of nationalism, but their high hopes were soon belied. Bhagat Singh, along with other revolutionaries like Jatin Das, Chandrashekhar Azad, Sukhdev Singh and others decided to find new methods to adopt for achieving independence for India. Bhagat Singh was particularly enthused by revolutionaries of the ghadar movement. The Russian Revolution (October 1917) undoubtedly exercised a great ideological influence on him and his comrades.
When a teenager, Bhagat Singh took to organising a mass movement of peasants, writers, radical thinkers and intellectuals. He said in 1931, ?Let me announce with all the strength at my command that I am not a terrorist and I never was, except perhaps in the beginning of my revolutionary career, and I am convinced that we cannot gain anything through these methods.? But he was quick to add, ?I do not mean to say that mere bomb throwing is not only useless but sometimes harmful.?
Blessed with patriotic fervour since childhood, Bhagat Singh left home in 1923 when his parents fixed his marriage. The failure of the Kakori conspiracy leaders made him realise the need for an open revolt and he, along with Sukhdev, formed the National Students Union in 1928. Lala Lajpat Rai'sbrutal death prompted him to kill by mistake J.P. Saunders, instead of Scott. In 1929, he and Batukeshwar Dutt threw a bomb each in the legislative assembly as a mark of protest against the repressive British. They both were arrested and exiled to Andamans for life. Bhagat Singh along with Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged on March 23, 1931.
While in prison, Bhagat Singh got a chance to pen down his views on God, mysticism, religion, language, art, literature, culture and biographies of past and contemporary revolutionaries. In a letter to his father, after leaving home, he wrote in 1923: ?My life has already been committed to a noble cause?the cause of the freedom of India. For that reason comforts and worldly desires have no attraction in my life. You must be remembering that when I was quite young, Bapuji (grandfather) had declared that I was being pledged for the service of the country. I am, therefore, honouring the pledge of that time. I hope you will excuse me.?
Bhagat Singh and his comrades justified their action of mistakenly killing J.P. Saunders. When his father Kishen Singh apologised to the Viceroy and the Tribunal for his son Bhagat Singh'sdefiance against the British imperialism, an angry Bhagat Singh wrote back: ?Father, I am quite perplexed. I fear I might overlook the ordinary principles of etiquette and my language may become a little bit harsh while criticising or rather censoring this move on your part. Let me be candid. I feel as though I have been stabbed at the back. Had any other person done it, I would have considered it to be nothing short of treachery. But in your case, let me say that it has been a weakness, a weakness of the worst type.?
Till the end of his short life, Bhagat Singh constantly fought against obscurantist, sectarian and communal ideas and ideologies. Thus, it was not surprising that he wrote an outstanding and path-breaking treatise on religion and existence of God in an essay entitled: Why I am an Atheist in which he derided ?the need for this artificial crutch, this imaginary saviour?
On reading this book one finds that Bhagat Singh'sstatement before courts in passionate letters to his father and other comrades, his observations on revolution and comradeship and on atheism reveal a mind that is at once original and mature in understanding. And who can be left unmoved by his statement, ?what is our great heritage of civilisation and culture worth if we have not enough self-respect left in us to prevent us from bowing surveillance to the commands of foreigners and paying homage to their flag and king??
(National Book Trust, India, A-5, Green Park, New Delhi-110016.)
